Spatial Distribution of Macrobenthos in Sueocheon Stream Estuary at the Nothern Part of Gwangyang Bay, Korea

Macrozoobenthos were collected from 24 sites using small grab () in order to see the spatial distribution of them at Sueocheon stream at the northern part of Gwangyang Bay during summer season when the maximum ecological processes are occurring. A total of 44 species of macrozoobenthos occurred, and their mean density was . Mollusks was the dominant faunal group accounted for 43.1% and 86.8% of the whole community density and biomass, respectively. Top five dominant species were a molluscan, Corbicula japonica (40.7%), two polychaete worms, Neanthes japonica (19.3%) and Heteromastus filiformis( 8.1%), and two crustaceans, Paranthura japonica (6.9%) and Jaeropsis sp. (6.9%). Species diversity index was very low with mean value of 1.12 and maximum value was recorded at the river mouth. At the upper stream, a brackish water species such as Corbicula japonica showed their maximum population density. The overall distribution of stream macrobenthos showed a rather simple pattern along with salinity and grain size gradients with few brackish water species occurring at coarse sediments in the stream but more diverse faunas inhabiting fine sediments in the river mouth.